


Unafriad

by MissAutomicBomb



Category: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations, Naruto
Genre: ANBU - Freeform, Badass Female OC, F/M, Gaara/OC - Freeform, Gaara/original characters, Gaara/original female characters, Kazekage Gaara (Naruto), Original Character(s), Romance, Side Romance, Slow Burn, gaara is the best, naruto - Freeform, you cant convince me otherwise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-14
Updated: 2020-12-14
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:29:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28077729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissAutomicBomb/pseuds/MissAutomicBomb
Summary: The prologue is a better description!All the fear and the fireOf the end of the worldHappens each time a boy falls in love with a girl,Happens grace,Happens sweet,Happily, I'm unfazed here too.__All rights reservedContent Advisory: Contains graphic depictions of violence, swearing, sextual content, and descriptions of abuse.
Relationships: Gaara (Naruto)/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 4





	1. Prologue

When a _flame_ is snuffed out, a raging, blazing **yearning** for _fire_ is lit. 

When a _life_ is taken, a hot, burning **hatred** is born. 

It was mid October. The healthy green of the forest surrounding the village was changing to a vibrant and beautiful array of oranges, yellows, and reds. The colorful autumn confetti flurried through the air and covered the ground. Children laughed and played amongst piles of leaves, while others attempted to keep their allergies at bay. 

A young girl jogged through the village, wrapped in a little red coat that proudly adorned her clan symbol. Her green scarf and raven hair blew in the wind as she hurried through the crisp fall air. She hugged a child close to her chest, Akari, no older than two years. She politely apologized to people in passing as she rushed home, but it was a big day after all.

Tsuki's mother was having her third child, the second was clutched to the latter's chest. She slowed when she neared the compound, smiling and waving to family and friends alike. She approached her home in the center of the massive compound, but was soon ushered away by her mother's sister. The women rattling off words like, _"It will be okay"_ and _"There's nothing to worry about"_ , but as Tsuki locked eyes with her father over the women's shoulder, she could see well guarded turmoil and what could have been anger in the young clan leader's eyes.

Akifumi eyed his wife's heaving chest as she reached her weak arms out to her newborn. The baby girl was swaddled tightly in a little pink blanket. Yoona's face was pale and beads of sweat ran down her forehead. Her once beautifully shiny raven locks looked matted and her onyx eyes looked too tired. She struggled a smile as she looked down at her baby, holding her close. This instant, this moment was all Yoona needed, all she wanted. Her eyes sleepily scanned the room for her other two girls but she could hardly hold them open as sleep beckoned her. She took one longing glance at her husband before her eyes fluttered closed, the darkness swallowing her up. 

There, nestled deep within the Akamatsu Clan compound, _**hatred**_ was born. 

Akifumi named the child, Akuma. She was trained from the moment she could walk. Ostracized from her siblings, she wasn't allowed friends, or toys. The only thing she knew was training. Akuma excelled, learning clan techniques and advanced taijutsu before she was even four. 

Akifumi Akamatsu was a mysterious and reserved man. No one was really sure why he did the things he did, but he beat and overworked his youngest daughter for two reasons. The first being the simpler of the two, he hated her. The second is certainly harder to understand, he had plans to make her into the ultimate weapon for political leverage over the leaf. The Akamatsu had very special powers and their compound was forcedly placed outside Konohagakure adjacent to the Uchiha Clan due to prejudice dating back to the waring states era. The close proximity and parallels of the two clans caused them to form an alliance. They has plans for a coup d'etat.

After Akuma turned five years old the dragon spirit was to be sealed inside her. It was a hot summer evening, Akuma was sat on the tatami floor in her training room, her legs neatly tucked under her beaten and bruised body. Her hands rested idly in her lap while her face was calm, her eyes were closed, her thick eyelashes brushing her pale cheeks. The setting sun poked through the rafters sending beams of orange and yellow over the young girl. Her father's assistant and her trainer, Keito, stood by the door awaiting the clan leader's arrival. The door slid open and Akifumi strode in flanked by two, no three, others. Akuma's eyes opened but her onyx orbs remained trained to the tatami. 

That fateful night would map out the rest of her very existence. The pain was almost unbearable. It felt like flames had been lit in her stomach where a fiery crimson seal marked agitated skin. She screamed, limbs thrashing, sweat beaded on her pale face. It felt like a hot raging fire was clawing up her throat and flooding her lungs. Her head pounded and her vision was clouded. After what felt like hours, the pain suddenly subsided, leaving her limbs aching and her chest heaving. 

The first year of training with the beast went fairly well. No accidents, disciplined, Akuma did as she was told simply because she knew nothing else. But soon after she turned six years old, there was a mishap. The girl lost control during a training session. Members of the clan screamed and hid away from the monster as it tore apart the compound. A colossal beast, the elemental dragon spirit, white and black adorned with massive wings and a mouth full of dangerously sharp teeth. A hand full Uchiha and Akamatsu members managed to get the situation under control. After a few casualties, including Keito, the hell spawn shrunk down to a small unconscious girl once more. 

Due to the _accident_ The Leaf knew about the girl and were discussing possible ways to keep the village safe from her. They planned to take her away from the Akamatsu and put her somewhere else, probably to use her power for themselves, Akifumi suspected. Akifumi's plan backfired. No way in hell was he going to let Konoha take such power. That's when he had the idea that changed everything. 

Akuma was dragged out of the compound late one night by her father. Outside the compound gates were two ninja, but Akuma noticed they were not Konohagakure shinobi. They were Suna shinobi. A poncho was thrown over her and her father ushered her towards the two strangers. She eyed them dangerously. They were in, what she assumed was standard Suna flak jackets, but they had cloths covering their faces. Akifumi reached out and grabbed her shoulder roughly, she flinched away before turning her stoic face to look at him. His onyx eyes were filled with hatred.

"You will do **exactly** as you are told once you arrive in Suna. Lord Rasa is a friend of mine, and he expects **much** from you. **Do not** disappoint." He stated before simply turning on his heel and marching back through the compound gates. 

Akuma was seething. Of course she hated her father, but she couldn't help but feel abandoned. Anger bubbled in her chest, the rage suffocating her, but she quickly swallowed it down and turned away from the compound, never looking back. 


	2. Chapter One: Deja Vu

To say that it was hot, was an understatement. The sun mercilessly beat down on the group of Suna ANBU. The sweltering sun sent heat waves off the endless sea of desert sand. If Akuma wasn't experienced, she would surely parish in this decollate and unforgiving wasteland. If you weren't careful, you could easily get caught in a sand storm or lose your way. The Suna boarders could finally be seen over the dunes of golden grain. 

As one of the youngest recruits on the ANBU Black Ops, the other members were quick to subconsciously underestimate and disrespect Akuma, though most were more afraid of her than anything else. She was only 12 years old and put in her position by Lord Rasa himself, after all. He always had his reasons. The girl was trained under the head of the Ezito Unit, Keizo Tomura. The Ezito Unit was a force more elite than the ANBU Black Ops. Every member was hand picked, drained of all emotion, and trained to handle every situation no matter the circumstances. It paralleled that of The Hidden leaf's Foundation.

While Akuma wasn't emotionally ignorant, she had learned how to compartmentalize her feelings. Especially after training as a member of The Ezito Unit, but even after everything, she was still in touch with her emotions, she'd always been. She was just great at hiding them. The only kindness she'd experienced when she was young was from her late mother's sister and her old sensei, Keito. At this point in her life both were dead. She killed the former when she lost control nearly six years ago, the latter, well that's a different story. Her oldest sister Tsuki ended up butchering the entire clan only a year after Akuma moved to the desert. So, all those questions she had for her father could never be answered.

Akuma reached up and readjusted the porcelain mask on her face, silently wishing she had a cloth one like her ANBU counterparts. The group hurried through the village and towards the Kazekage estate. Once inside, they navigated the labyrinth with practiced ease, her squad leader, Genki, knocked on the door before the group filed into the Kazekage's chamber. Akuma dropped to her knee in respect, her eyes to the floor, her teammates doing the same.

"The targets were eliminated, sir. Zero casualties. Nothing compromised." he explained quickly. Lord Rasa set down the paper he was reading and nodded, eyeing the three ANBU standing before him. He folded his hands, propping his elbows up on the desk.

"Excellent. Well done, Team Takeo. Akamatsu, Keizo is expecting you, don't make him wait. Dismissed." He said with a passive wave of his hand before his eyes moved back to his paperwork. Akuma stood,

"Sir." she nodded before turning on her heel and shuffling out of Rasa's office, Genki and Mika on her heels. Genki Takeo was brilliant. He always knew exactly what to do in an emergency situation and was a phenomenal leader. He was the oldest of their squad, Akuma assumed he was somewhere in his mid to late twenties. A total badass. Mika Sasaki on the other hand was 16, also one of the youngest AMBU members, well known for her outstanding medical prowess and impressive chakra control. Akuma was tactical, extremely powerful, and a sensory type. Their team was perfectly balanced, and their dynamic worked quite well. Akuma was mostly quiet and reserved, while Mika was outgoing and funny, Genki just tied the two together with his professional attitude. He was serious when necessary but Akuma learned he could also be lighthearted and compassionate.

Akuma split from the group once they were outside the building, giving them a small wave over her shoulder before darting off towards the Ezito headquarters. She attempted to mentally prepare herself for what she would endure once inside the building. Letting out a breath she didn't know she was holding, she pushed open the door and crossed the massive sparring circle to the other half of the stucco building. She went through two more sets of doors before she bowed before Keizo, removing her mask and placing it on her hip. He turned over his shoulder to look at the girl before bringing his arm back to slap her across the face. Her head jerked violently to the right from the force of the blow. She made an effort not to grimace as the hot stinging pain engulfed the left side of her face. She straightened as he retracted his arm,

"You're late." He declared, his voice was low and full of venom, as always. She didn't bother giving an explanation, she could see it was rhetorical and answering would expose her to more blows to the face. "I have an assignment for you, Ryu." Her codename echoed off the chamber walls. She stood as he turned around to face the window again, "You are aware of your role in the planned attack against Konohagakure?" He questioned,

"Yes sir." She nodded, her cheek a blotchy red.

"Change of plans. You are to stay in Suna unless I say otherwise." He turned towards her. Her brows furrowed in confusion,

"But Lord Rasa said the plan was-" She was cut off by a hand striking the right side of her face. She was quick to shut her mouth, her eyes darkening with repressed rage as she watched his retracting hand.

"You will not question me, child. I do not want you in that village unless absolutely necessary, as they are unaware of the circumstances of your meager existence and I do not want them sending AMBU to retrieve you. Do you understand me?" He explained monotone.

"Yes sir." She agreed, simply because she didn't have a choice.

"Good." He grinned wickedly, "Then you are dismissed until further notice." She nodded, bowing once more before hurrying out of the suffocating room. She didn't understand, she was a perfect asset for the Konoha invasion. She was supposed to be a major player in the plan. Of course she didn't like the idea of being used as a weapon in the first place, but it **is** her **purpose.**

It was beginning to get dark and there was a slight chill in the desert air. She rolled her shoulders back in an attempt to sooth the aches, as she made her way to the outskirts of the village. She walked up the wall but once she got to the top she noticed a dark figure standing on the edge. She eyed the person carefully, they were facing the endless grains that surrounded the village. Their chakra was unbelievably powerful. Cold. 

"You shouldn't be here." his cold voice rang out, her heart stopped in her chest as a chill ran down her spine. He turned his head to glance at her over his shoulder, recognition flashed in her brain upon seeing the crimson marking on his forehead and his red hair. This was the Kazekage's son, the jinchuriki, Gaara. She swallowed dryly, her eyes moved to his seafoam green ones, even though every part of her being told her not to. She sucked in a breath when his eyes moved to her's, they were such a soft color but hatred boiled in them. Then, her mouth and her brain did two very different things,

"Why shouldn't I?" She asked cautiously, her voice barely above a whisper. Every part of her brain screamed for her to run and forget about the whole thing, but for some reason her feet wouldn't move. Her mind demanded that she break the eye contact, but she couldn't. She was frozen in that spot. The boy clicked his tongue turning back to the desert, sand swirled around his feet. She watched him closely.

"Because I am going to kill you." he stated matter of factually. The ANBU girl noticed his fists clench at his sides.

"Why would you do that?" She whispered cautiously, attempting to keep her voice from breaking. For some reason, she wasn't scared.

"Why aren't you afraid, like everyone else?" He demanded, turning towards her, his eyes darkened meeting her's once more. Her heart pounded in her chest. Her body told her to take a step back, but she stood her ground. Even if she tried to escape now, he would more than likely be able to catch her. His sand slinked towards her in the corner of her eye.

"Because we're the same." She tried. His sand faultered as a moment of heavy silence passed.

"You don't know anything about me." He countered, though she could see the scarcest amount of curiosity swimming in his greenish blue eyes, but the moment it was there it was gone. His face recoiled and he groaned in pain, his hands moving to grab at his head. This time she took a step back as his sand wrapped around her ankle, she tripped letting out a shocked gasp. She fell backwards over the edge. At this moment Gaara looked up, recovering from the aches in his head. Swiftly, he moved his arm out in front of him. His sand wrapped around her waist moving her swiftly back to were she was, before retracting back towards him. She looked up at him on her hands and knees, eyes wide.

"Wha-" She tried before he cut her off,

"Leave." He instructed, turning back towards the desert. She stayed there on her knees, quietly observing the boy. "Go, or I'll kill you." At this point she knew he was not lying. She stood and turned away from him, pausing for only a second before jumping off the wall.

To say she didn't think about that encounter often would be a lie. It was a very strange situation. Anyone else wouldn't have lived to tell the tale. She must have played her cards right. She was forced to stay in the village for the entire Konoha invasion. Turns out Rasa had made a deal with Orochimaru and the former betrayed Suna. Now, the Kazekage was no where to be found along with his guards and Keizo Tomura. The Sand Siblings, Baki, and the other Suna shinobi had yet to return to the village. With Sunagakure in shambles, the elders had ANBU squads scouting the perimeter of the village constantly.

"I can't believe Lord Rasa is missing. Sure, he was harsh, but still." Mika shook her head as they walked,

"I am aware this seems leisurely, but we have to stay focused." Genki lectured, "With everything that's going on right now, we have to keep our people safe." they walked in V formation, Akuma taking point. They had made almost halfway around the village,

"I can't believe he let the one tails lose in Konoha like that." She mumbled as they shuffled through the sand. Suddenly, Akuma was hit in the face with an awful stench.

"Tora. What-" Genki started with her codename but scrunching up her nose under her mask, Akuma cut him off,

"Holy shit. Meishu, look ahead." She said, her voice slightly panicked. Ahead were a pile of hardly recognizable bodies, among them the Kazekage. The smell was horrible. The odor of death, a smell you could not forget. Vultures flapped away from the corpses as the group approached. Akuma swallowed down the bile raising in her throat, the stench of decomposition making her eyes water.

"Christ almighty..." Mika mumbled as the three came to a stop.

"Tora report back to the elders immediately, Ryu will stay here with me." He ordered, "Now."

"Yes sir." She answered before vanishing in a flash,

Mika returned with more ANBU and they brought the corpses back to the village. They were identified as Rasa, Keizo, and his guards. After another day or so the Sand Siblings returned with Baki and his men. The Kazekage was dead, the village was in an even deeper economic depression than before, and Akuma didn't know how to feel.

Should she be relieved? Rasa and Keizo were no longer plaguing her life, but she couldn't help but feel lost as she returned to her lonely apartment that night. Of course she hated being- whatever the hell she was with this monster inside her, but at least to Keizo she was something. Even if she was just a tool, a weapon, at least she had a purpose. Keizo never _cared_ about Akuma. He called her an outsider, a straggler, a wonderer. He stripped the emotions from her through physical and mental abuse. Though, Akuma tried to separate herself from Ryu. Ryu was the mask. Akuma was the girl under it.

Akuma hated him, that was easy enough to understand, but now what would she do? Who would be in charge of the unit? Rasa was the only reason she was allowed to live in Suna, because she was a weapon given to him by a friend. Would she be sent away?

The village elders thought nothing of it for the time being and continued to send her on missions through the ANBU. Almost a month had passed since they found the bodies and she'd just returned from a mission. It was dark when she walked into her apartment. Striding into her unused living space, she removed her tantos, belt, and pouches placing them neatly on a dusty coffee table.

She let out a long sigh as she walked into her bathroom. She shut the door and looked at herself in the mirror. Her dragon mask stared back at her, teeth bared, an angry reminder of who she was. She took the mask of her face and set it on the sink. Pulling the tie out of her hair, she watched her raven locks cascade down her shoulders. Her skin looked pale and dirt littered her face from a days work. She had deep purple circles under her onyx eyes that made her lack of sleep prominent. She stripped and stepped into the shower, allowing the warm water to wash away the grim and ease her aching body. After she'd shampooed and conditioned her hair, she stood in the water, allowing it to spray in her face. After a five minute shower, because water was scarce in the desert, she dressed in more leisurely clothes than her regular gear. A black shirt with three quarter sleeves and a pair of tight black pants.

She walked out the door, strapping one of her tantos to her leg and a pouch to her waist for safety, even though if she got in a fight she'd never need such things. She made her way through the darkened village to the outskirts. She was stood on the top of the giant sandstone wall that surrounded the village, Otabi was particularly restless tonight. Attempting to get her mind off her sudden bloodlust, she eyed the way the moon illuminated the dunes of sand. It was so strange how this desert that she hated so much could look so beautiful under the stars, even if it had claimed the lives of so many travelers in its millions of years of existence.

Relaxing slightly, she sat down her one leg out, the other up, one arm behind her for support, her other elbow rested on her knee. She welcomed the cool night air as she allowed it to fill her lungs. Her eyes remained on the desert, but she could feel chakra approaching. It was powerful, but it held some familiarity.

"You shouldn't be here." Akuma's voice rang out as she glanced idly over her shoulder at Gaara. She watched as his eyes widened slightly in recognition. He locked eyes with her, she noticed something different about him. This was not the same boy from before. This one had determination in his seafoam eyes. She even noticed the ghost of the smallest of smirks on his lips. A beat of comfortable silence passed, then he said exactly what she **knew** he would say,

"Why shouldn't I?" His stoic voice carried across the crisp night air, Akuma thought for a moment before breaking the eye contact and turning her face back towards the desert.

"Hmm." She hummed, "Well, I could kill you, but I'm certainly not going to give in to that. So, I suppose you _can_ be here." She responded, thinking out loud. A collected calmness to her voice. "Join me if you'd like." She motioned to the spot next to her with her hand. She could imagine the look of shock on his face, maybe confusion. Perhaps he'd just leave. She didn't know, but she decided this would be a moment were she'd show some kindness, rather than idle, because this boy had been deprived of such a concept. She knew what that was like. After a minute or two of silence, she heard the crunching of sand under his feet and then the boy sat down a foot or so to her left, his gourd on the ground next to him. She was surprised, though she didn't know what to expect. She only heard vaguely of what occurred in Konoha, apparently Gaara fought The Leaf's jinchuriki boy, Naruto. That must have changed him in someway. His aura felt different now, not so cold or frightening. Naruto was a spunky boy to say the least, she'd met him once before when she was young.

_The Akamatsu girl ran out of the compound, breaking into a full sprint when she could hear Keito gaining on her. Tears ran down her face, dripping off her chin. Just below her eye, she sported a deep purple bruise that tinted her fair skin yellow and green. Her father was very displeased with her performance these last few days because she had yet to develop her kekki genki, Tsuki was a prodigy and awakened her visual prowess when she was 5, so he assumed the same from Akuma._

_At this point she was deep within the heart of the village, she turned a corner with speed and collided with the person in front of her. She fell backwards onto the ground and let out a small groan of pain. The boy across from her, also seated on the ground from the impact, glared at her._

_"I'm so sor-" Akuma's small underused voice started, but he cut her off, standing and picking her off the ground by the front of her shirt,_

_"Who do you think you are, punk?" He demanded, spitting in her face,_

_"I-" She tried again but her pushed her onto the ground, she tumbled slightly, wincing. Upon seeing her clan symbol on her back even more malice flashed in his eyes,_

_"Oh, I know who you are. Not only are you a stuck up clan member, but you're that little freak, aren't you?" He took a step towards her, she didn't want to hurt him so she stayed in place, "You can tell your father to shove that Akunogan up his ass!" He spat kicking her in the stomach once. While she winced in pain she could feel Otabi under her skin as her blood began to boil._

_"Hey! Leave her alone!" Another voice shouted, Akuma opened her eyes to see a blond boy standing a few feet away. Her attacker clicked his tongue and brought his leg back once more, but suddenly in a flash of yellow, her savior tackled the other boy. He punched him in the face twice before he was thrown off,_

_"Akuma! There you are!" Keito exclaimed as he hurried towards her, kneeling down, "Are you alright?" He asked his eyes softening, she nodded,_

_"But-" She tried pointing to the boys fighting but was brought to her feet._

_"Let's go." He ushered, she turned over her shoulder to look at him once more. He stood up, his face beginning to swell,_

_"I'm Naruto Uzumaki. I'm going to be Hokage one day, you'll see!" He shouted at his much larger opponent before squaring up once more._

_Naruto Uzumaki._

She was unsure of how long the silence ensued the two of them, but it was comfortable. She heard him breath as though he was going to say something, but he remained quiet. Akuma glanced at him, his eyes were locked on the crescent moon, his face stoic and calm. She followed his gaze and studied the way the clouds floated by the moon.

"Who are you?" He finally asked, his voice being carried by the wind of the decollate sands. She thought for a moment, this should have been an easy question to answer, but just _who_ was she? After a beat of silence she responded,

"My name is Akuma." She settled, her eyes remained on the desert before them, but she could see him glance at her, his eyes narrowing. He seemed as if he was expecting her to say more, maybe a life story or likes or dislikes, but she silenced herself after that. A simple answer.

"Last time we met," he paused as she turned to look at him, "you said we're the same." He finished, curiosity swam in his blue green eyes. He was a boy of few words. Again, not easy to answer. She turned away in thought. A long silence filled the night.

"When I was young," she started, he seemed surprised that she was answering, "my father sealed the spirit of an old nomad named Otabi inside me for political leverage against my home village." she paused again, letting out a small sigh, "A powerful dragon spirit, much like a tailed beast. I made many mistakes. Killed many people because I lacked control." She turned to look at him again, his eyes were widened slightly. When he didn't answer she decided to keep talking. "I was ostracized from my siblings. Rejected by my village. One day I lost control and tore apart the clan compound. My father was afraid he would lose my powers to the village he despised, so he sent me away to live in Suna, as another weapon is Rasa's arsenal. I was disowned by my clan." His lips parted, confusion taking over is stoic features. Akuma breathed in, closing her eyes before answering his unasked question.

"My late sensei, Keito, told me once to never lose myself. He told me despite the hatred I've endured and will continue to, I shouldn't reflect it onto others. Regardless of how much I don't want to, I should be kind." She explained, "I almost lost myself some time ago." She trailed obviously lost in her own thoughts, her eyes wondering to her hands that were now in her lap. She fiddled with her fingers. His tanuki like eyes trailed over her calm face curiously, the moon illuminated her features. He noticed the distant look in her eyes.

"Why didn't you?" He asked, prompting her to look up at him. He scanned her face for answers, suddenly, a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"I'm unsure."

Such a simple response. It just invoked more questions. He watched as the smile slowly hid away and she turned back towards the desert. He was unsure of how long the two sat there in silence as the night deepened. She sighed before getting to her feet. He glanced up at her,

"I should get going. I have to prepare and get debriefed for a mission tomorrow." She trailed off, walking towards the edge, before looking down at him, "Don't stay out too late." was all she said before disappearing over the ledge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my dears, I plan on making chapters a lot longer than this one (this one is only almost 4000 words), normally I'd have 8000-12000 word chapters but I only have so much to work with at this point in the story. Anyhow, thank you for giving my fic a chance I hope I don't disappoint!  
> Please comment your thoughts and ideas and I'll try to implement them!
> 
> Stay healthy and safe!
> 
> -Haku


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